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Stoneyard, the emerging Brockport brewery, operates under two guiding principles: 1. We don't do small. 2. Not the usual. So for the second annual Big Tent Event on May 13, owner Jay Nichols and the affable Stoneyard crew are going bigger. Much bigger. Last year's brew fest featured 16 breweries. This year, 42 breweries will be pouring in the giant tent, measuring 60 by 100 feet, in the parking lot behind Stoneyard, nestled along the Erie Canal. They also will close down Water Street to allow for the expected crowd of more than 2,000 people. About 1,500 people attended last year's festival.

“The canal connects New York state, so we decided to invite breweries from all over the state this year, not just Rochester,” Nichols said.

A portion of the proceeds benefit Brockport-based Camp Abilities, a one-week camp for visually impaired and blind children and teens, and the Mary Cariola Children's Center, an organization that helps students with disabilities. Nichols said this is truly a community effort, noting that Stoneyard works closely with the village of Brockport. .

"It brings a lot of people to Brockport," Nichols said. "And it brings a lot of people who might just be getting into craft beer and exposes them to some of these breweries. They don’t have to travel that far. It’s opening up a whole new world of craft beer to people who may not know about it."

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A pour of Stoneyard's Quince Double IPA, just one of the many beers the adventurous west-side brewery has become known for.(Photo: Will Cleveland/@WillCleveland13/Staff photographer)

Some of my favorite New York breweries will be at the festival. The ones I'm most looking forward to include Big Ditch, Community Beer Works, Singlecut, Genesee, Prison City and Knucklehead. Nichols promises that most breweries will be bringing rare beers, making the trip to Brockport all the more worthwhile.

The festival marks an exciting time for Stoneyard. In the near future, Stoneyard is set to open the Stoneyard Breakfast Co. It's housed on Clinton Street in the former Rocco's bar location. The bigger kitchen will allow Stoneyard to do more catering and will focus on hearty breakfasts. Just down the street from the breakfast space, work is underway on the new home for the brewery. And it's really big. The future is certainly bright for the Brockport brewery.

"We're trying to create a fun craft beer culture out here, and something like this is a huge springboard for that," Nichols said.

Head down Interstate 390 and plan to attend a really cool event on Saturday, May 14, in Corning. The Heritage Village Craft Beverage Expo looks like a fun marriage of nerd-ery and craft beverages. It combines live demonstrations; workshops; lectures; beer, wine, cider and spirits tastings; and a homebrew competition.

Ben Keene, who is the managing editor for Beer Advocate Magazine, will lead a discussion on the historical role of brewing in early America, the landscape of craft beer today, and provide some insights into where the industry might be headed. Attendees will receive a handcrafted pottery drinking vessel that was made for the event by John Keddy from Rock Hill Pottery in Bath. Admission includes beer, wine and cider samples.

Kevin and Melanie Collins founded this Steuben County-based hard cider producer less than three years ago. Cider Creek Hard Cider is a true upstate original. During that time, they've worked to make their Canisteo cidery into a destination.

When they opened their gorgeous tasting room, they went a long way toward accomplishing it. It also doesn't hurt that Kevin Collins is a cider-making magician, often blurring the lines of what is cider and what isn't with some of his concoctions. He's worked with a few different upstate breweries to produce cider/beer hybrids. He's experimented with different types of yeasts and a whole range of different barrels.

Now, Cider Creek is hosting its first brew fest and it promises to be a great time. Starting at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 21, patrons can enjoy beer, cider and wine from a huge range of upstate beverage producers. There are a number of great local breweries, including Stoneyard, Prison City, Ommegang, and Swiftwater. In all, there will be more than 20 breweries Camping is also encouraged. VIP tickets are sold out. All other tickets are available online through Eventbrite (just search for the name of the event).